As part of its ongoing strategy to grow the platinum jewellery market, platinum group metals (PGMs) miner Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) is hosting the twenty-third edition of South African platinum jewellery design and manufacturing competition PlatAfrica.

Working in partnership with Platinum Guild International (PGI) India and Metal Concentrators, this year’s PlatAfrica competition focuses on the theme of hope.

As such, entrants were tasked with creating innovative designs that illustrate global and social themes, with designs that demonstrate trust in artisanry in a world contending with uncertainty.

The two categories of adjudication are individual students/apprentices and individual professionals, who will compete for the honours in South Africa’s flagship platinum jewellery design competition.

Finished statement jewellery items, incorporating platinum as a core component of their design, will be judged for interpretation of the hope theme and technical expertise. Entries range from neckpieces to earrings, rings and armpieces.

Amplats CEO Natascha Viljoen says that being at the forefront of the PGMs market and product development is what Amplats is consistently striving for as an industry role-player.

“Our record in championing and developing platinum jewellery design and manufacturing through PlatAfrica is a testament to our commitment to creating a resilient end market for our metals, as well as enduring value through a meaningful springboard for creative talent in our industry.”

This year, she says, designers were required to interpret the hope theme in the context of sustainability and an improved planet.

“The finalists have done an outstanding job bringing these interconnected concepts to life, and demonstrating that, despite the many challenges we face, it is fundamentally our hope that fuels our ingenuity.

“The selected finalists represent the best of South Africa’s technical excellence in platinum jewellery design and I am proud of each and every one of them.”

Winners will receive a cash prize, national media exposure and the opportunity to participate in an all-expenses-paid design workshop at PGI India to further their platinum jewellery design craft in one of the world’s fastest-growing jewellery markets.

This year’s finalists in the professional category are Aimee Bredenkamp from Prins and Prins Diamonds, Jane Merrifield from Tuesday’s Child Jewellery Design, Mandlenkosi Moses None and Nnete Koketso Mokgothu from The Platinum Incubator – Mo Nkosi & Nnete Jewellers, Rajesh Shah from J Hind Jewellers, Sifiso Khumalo from Sivana Africa, Ann ten Cate from Van Deijl Jewellers, Chris van Rensburg from Studio C Manufacturing Jewellers, Samantha Vincent from Durban University of Technology, Kim Nel from Van Deijl Jewellers and Louis Koen from The Jewellery System.

In the student/apprentice category are Jana Basson from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Thembani Gobingca from CPUT and Ntuthuko Jaxa from Pneuma Jewellers.